LITTLE ROCK Gov. Mike Beebe said Wednesday that a special session to consider a severance tax hike will also give lawmakers a chance to fix a botched law that could allow toddlers to marry.
Beebe issued the formal proclamation for the special session to begin Monday to consider the hike on the severance tax on natural gas, which hasn't changed since 1957. Beebe says the tax hike will eventually raise $100 million for state highways.
The session's agenda also includes considering extending the deadline for North Little Rock and Pulaski County special school districts to receive incentives in return for emerging from federal desegregation monitoring
The session, which Beebe said he hopes will last three days, will give lawmakers a chance to correct a typo in legislation intended to clarify the state's marriage age. Last year, the Legislature had attempted to set 18 as the minimum marriage age but allow pregnant teenagers to marry with parental consent. Arkansas' previous law set the minimum marriage age at 17 for boys and 16 for girls.
By inserting an extraneous "not" into the law, legislators inadvertently paved the way for Arkansas children of any age to marry, if their parents approved. The commission tried to change the law by removing the "not."
During the session, lawmakers will consider legislation repealing that law and returning the marriage age to the way it was before the botched bill.
Last year, a woman who gave her 17-year-old daughter permission to marry sued in Benton County after officials there denied her a marriage license. Benton County Circuit Judge Tom J. Keith said in his ruling the marriage license should be issued.
Some legislators last year said they were concerned that pedophiles would use the law to take advantage of children, but Beebe said he saw no impending crisis to call lawmakers back to address the issue. The flawed law caused confusion among county clerks who say they're uncertain which law to enforce as the minimum marrying age.
During the session, legislators will also try to give the two school districts more time to be declared unitary, or fully integrated. Legislation last year offered financial incentives to North Little Rock and Pulaski County if they were declared unitary by June 14.
Little Rock's schools emerged from federal monitoring last year when it was declared unitary, and North Little Rock and Pulaski County have also sought to obtain that status. Both the requests are pending in federal court.
Beebe announced last week that he would summon lawmakers back to the Capitol for the special session. The governor has said he has more than enough votes to pass the severance tax hike. Passing the increase requires 75 votes in the House and 27 in the Senate.
